Bottle holder



June 2, 1942. H. K. POWELL BOTTLE HOLDER Filed Aug. 4, 1938 I 3Sheets-Sheet 1 June 2, 1942. H. K. POWELL BOTTLE HdLDER Filed Aug. 4,1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jlme 2, 1942- H. K. POWELL 2,284

' BOTTLE HOLDER Filed Aug. 4, 1938 3 $heets-$hest 5 Patented June 2, '1942 UNITED f STATES PATENT OFFICE ere...

m Henry K. Powell, Chicago, Ill.

' Application August 4, 1938, Serial No. 222,962 '1 Claims. (c1. ace-23)This-invention relates to improvements in containers of the collapsibleor knock-down type oi a plurality of articles, such as a number ofbottles, in a manner such that they may be retained securely and carriedwith case.

J A general object of the invention is the provil which are adapted forthe holding or packaging sion of such a container which may bemanuiactured very economically from paper board or similar inexpensivematerial, with minimum Waste, and in a form such that, in its collapsedcondition, it may be packaged in numbers in relatively small space, andwhich maybe set up at the point of use very quickly and easily andwithout requiring special equipment or additional fastenings.

tacle which will retain a plurality 'of objects, such as bottles, verysecurely so that they may be carbut little space beyond the arearequiredfor the contained articles themselves, and hence may be used as holdersfor groups of the'articles incrates or cases commonly employed forpacking them in larger numbers, and which is adapted to permit aplurality of the packages, for which they constitute the holders, to bestacked one upon another in a stable relationship.

Another object is the provision of such a recepthe invention, I show inthe accompanying drawings iorming a part of this specification, andhereinafter describe, variousiorms in which the invention and itsseveral features may be embodied. It is to be understood, however, that,

these are presented merely for purpose of illustra-r tion, and hence arenot to be construed in any I I fashion for the purpose of' limiting theappended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of theinvention in the art.

In said drawings, Fig. 1 represents aperspective view of one iorm ofcontainer embodying the invention, same being shown in itsset-upcondition ready for reception of its contents;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the body member 1 constituting part ofthe device shown in Fig. 1, same being shown in a partly collapsedcondition;

Fig. 3- is a perspective view of the girth member forming a part of thedevice shown in Fig. 1,

showing same on a somewhat larger s'calethan in Fig.1, and in acollapsed condition;

Fig. 4 is a detail representing an. alternative position of certain of.the parts of the body member shown in Fig. 2, in a partly collapsedcondi- 7 tion;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the inventionwhich differs in various features from'the forms illustrated in Figs. 1to 4 inclusive;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the body member constituting part of theembodiment shown in Fi Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the girth memberconstituting a part of the device shown in Fig. 5,

showing same on a somewhat larger scale and in a collapsed condition;

. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the top portion of the deviceillustrated in'Figg5, showing the same A particular object of thepresent improvements of the sorts above described whereby they may beformed with collapsible or folding bottoms ot a sort such asto minimizetheir area when in knocked-down condition and to iacilitate their is theprovision of a construction for receptacles on a larger scale andservingto illustrate particularly the handle and the arrangement formounting it on the body member;

Fig. 9 isa perspective view of yet another form of body member which maybe used in place oi the one shown in Fig. 2; H

Fig. 10 is a perspective detail illustrating the lower portion of acontainer embodying the present invention and showing a furthermodification in the form of the body member and girth tained oruponactual use of theinvention in modified, with a girth member of the typeillustrated in Fig.

Fig. 12 is a perspective detail illustrating the lower portion of acontainer embodying the invention, showing the type of body memberillustrated in Fig. 11 but with still another type of girth member;

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of theinvention, showing a type of top construction and handle mountingdifferent from those illustrated in the preceding figures, with a bodymember and bottom construction like that illustrated in Fig. 9 and agirth member of the type illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 14 is a cross section illustrating the type of body member shown inFig. 13 in its collapsed form and in a bowed condition for the purposeof insertion of the handle;

Fig. 15 is a perspective illustrating the type of body member shown inFigs. 13 and 14, showing it in its fiat or collapsed condition; and

Fi .16 is a further embodiment of the invention using a body memberhaving a top construction like that in Fig. 13 but with a different typeof bottom construction, and a girth member of the type illustrated inFig. 3.

Described generally. the present invention contemplates a containercomprising a body member and a girth or retainer member, both of whichare made of suitable sheet material, such as paper board, and arecollapsible to a flat form. The body member includes a portion whichform the bottom of the receptacle, and which is itself foldable orcollapsible, either to positions between other portions of the bodymember, or to extended positions. The girth member comprises a strip orband, having its ends secured together or connected integrally, sothat-it forms a closed loop which may be set up into approximatelyrectangular form in encompassing relationship to the lower portion ofthe body member, said girth member being of less height than the bodymember and serving to provide an upstanding rim or ledge following thegeneral outline of the bottom portion thereof, as a means to assist inholding the bottom member in its set-up form, and to-retain the lowerportions of the contained articles against displacement laterally fromover the bottom portion. The body and girth members have portions whichcooperate to retain them in the desired relationship when the device isin set-up conditiong The body member is provided with apertures in itsupper portion through which the bottles or other intended contents maybe inserted, said top portions also cooperating with the intendedcontent articles to prevent their falling out of the receptacle. yetexposing them to view and permitting them to be withdrawn when desired.The body member is provided with a handle at its upper end whereby thecontainer may be carried with safety and convenience. Certain improvedarrangements for mounting of the handle on the body member are provided,and the handles, of various forms, are adapted to be depressed or swunglaterally to positions below. the projecting tops of the botties, sothat the latter may serve as rests for packages superimposed upon them.The invention resides in the particular combinations and arrangements ofthe various parts, and will best be understood from a detaileddescription of the illustrative embodiments shown in the drawings.

In said drawings, like reference numerals are applied to like partswhere they appear in the various figures in difierent embodiments of theinvention. Referring first to the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive, and more specifically the body member which is shown in Fig.2, it is to be observed that said body member is formed from a flatsheet of material, such as paper board, as a continuous or integralstrip, which is cut and scored with fold creases to provide a bottomportion made up of two panels, designated 20, which are integrallyconjoined alonga fold crease A. Integrally conjoined to the outermargins of the respective panels are side panels 2!, which are alike insize and form,

and are conjoined with the bottom panels on fold creases B, which areparallel with the crease A. The lower portions of the side panels 2| arethe same width as the bottom panels 20 but at a short distance abovetheir lower limits, they are widened slightly to provide outwardlyjutting shoulders 2la, and at a distance above these shoulders, the sidepanels are creased transversely at C to demark top side portions 2").These are slotted along lines 210 and creased along line D to forminwardly flexible tabs 22, which, when folded inwardly, affordtransversely extending openings in said top side portions. Theendportionsof the strip, at the upper ends of the portions 21b, aresecured fiat against each other bya plurality of staples 24 which arearranged along creases E that are parallel with creases C and B. Thesecontacting portions are provided with an aperture 25 to accommodate thefingers, thus forming a handle, and above the staples 24 they areprovided with creases F to facilitate their being bent outwardly awayfrom each other, for purpose hereinafter explained.

This body member may be collapsed to a fiat form by flexing it on thecrease lines A and B, so as to fold the bottom panels 20 into surfacecontact with each other, either with said 'panels between the sidepanels, as seen in Fig. 2, or projecting beyond them, as seen in Fig. 4.Also, this body member may be flexed to its set-up form by fiexing'thebottom panels 20 outwardly into a common plane, and the side panelsoutwardly along the creases 0 into angular relationship with the topside portions 21b. This flexes said top side portions into angularrelationship with the handle portions 25, as seen in Fig. 1.

The girth member, which is shown in Fig. 3, is'adapted to fit upon thelower portion of the bottom member when the latter is in its set-upform. Said girth member comprises a strip which is joined at its ends bystaples 26 and creased transversely at G and H to form side sections'28and end sections 29. The end sections are formed with flaps 30 extendingfrom their lower margins and demarked by creases J.

For assembling the girth member on the body member, it is' opened up toits rectangular form, the flaps 30 are flexed inwardly and upwardlyagainst the inner surfaces of the end sections 29, and it is slide ontothe lower portion of the body member, this being done before the bottomvpanels 20 are fully extended relative to each other.

on top of them. With the parts in this relationship, which is shown inFig. 1, the ends of the flaps 30 abut the inner surfaces of the sidepanels 2!. and brace them apart from each other and against the sidesections 28, thus definitely preventing the bottom from collapsing orflexing along the fold crease A. The shoulders 21a engage over the upperedge of the girth member Then the bottom panels are flattened down, andthe flaps 30 then allowed to fiex down' package.

' fastened to each other.

7 panels, which-extend upwardly from-the girth member. As thusassembled, the device retains the form illustrated in Fig. 1.'

To put bottles in it, the tabs 22 are flexed inwardly along the crease(D), the bottles are inserted through the apertures in the top sideportions 2lb, the first two bottles on each side being moved to therespective ends of the aperture, and the others then beinginsertedbetween them. The deviceillustrated is proportioned so as to hold sixbottles, three in a row oneach side, and when the bottles are inposition as above described, they stand on the bttom"'panels 20, andtheir necks or upper portions project out of the apertures in thetopside portions. Consequently, they are held at both top and bottomagainst sliding or falling outwardly through the open end portions ofthe container. As thus packed, the container and its contents may becarried conveniently in the hand by means of the handle handle may dropdownward until arrested by the flaps 36, inwhich position it is belowthe tops of the bottles.

For some advantages, it may be desirable to keep the upper portion ofthe body member inportion and when it is desired to stack packages oneuponanother, the handle portions may be flexed outwardly away from eachother along the creasesiF) to positions where they are be low the topsof the bottles so that the latter con- Jointly may form a rest for thesuperimposed The tabs 22 form angular stifiening struts for the topsideportions and separators for the rows of bottles.

In order to provide for separation of the lower portions 01 the bottles,the bottom construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may be used. Hereextensions 20a are formed on the bottom panels 20 and secured flatagainst each other by a row of staples 3| along crease lines K on whichthe bottom panels may be flexed outwardly so that they extend atright-angles from the conjoined extensions 20a. v Consequently, when thebody member is in its set-up form, the extension members 20a form apartition extending upwardly along the median line of the bottomportion.

To accommodate this partition, the girth member is constructed as shownin Fig. 7, "12., the tabs on the respective end sections are subdividedby slots a, so that the respective sections 30 may fit between thepartition and the side panels of the body member, as illustrated in Fig.

, 5, to brace the side panels apart and hold the bottom panels intheirfiat extended positions.

In Figs. 5 and 8 is shown also a modified handle arrangement. Here theflaps of the top sidepanels 2|b extend but a short distance, and

they are subdivided by slots 32 into outer sections 34, which arefastened securely to each I other by staples 35, and intermediatesections 36, which rest against each other but are not At the ends ofthe slots are holes 31 through the panels.

The handle is made of stiff wire and is formed with a bail having anarcuate portion 38a and parallel straight leg portions 38b, and journalportions 380 which extend outwardly fromthe lower ends of the legportions 381: and are in alignment with each other. The spacing of theleg portions 381) corresponds to the distance between the slots 32f'Accordingly, the bail portion 380 may be forced between the flaps 36,from the under side, thelegs 38b flnding their places in the slots 32.

together and prevent its falling downwardly between them. Consequently,the bail 38a may be lifted to the position shown in Fig.8, where, thejournal portions 38c seat in-the crotch at After'the arcuate portion 38dhas passed above the flaps 38, they spring back tegral, and to connectthe ends of the body member stripat the bottom, or elsewhere. Figs. 9,

13, 15 and 16 show body members wherein the upper side portions remainintegral at their tops. In the form'of body member shown in Fig. 9,

the endsof the strip are joined-in the bottom structure, the bottomcomprising an innerv or overlying panel 40 integral'with one of the sidepanels 2|, and an outer or underlying panel 4| having a flap 42 which issecured to the overlying panel by suitable fastening, such as staples44. The underlying panel has a fold crease L along the median line 01the bottom, thus per.

mitting the bottom to be collapsed or folded inwardly between the sidepanels 2|. This forms a particularly stiff and stable bottom if theoverlying panel 40 is made the full width of the bottom'so as to extendfrom its side panel to the opposite one, although it is quite stiffagainst flexing downwardly if the overlying panel extendsacross only apart of the width of the underlying panel. r

In Fig. 13 is shown an assembly of such a bottom structure with a girthmember of the type shown in Fig. 3, viz., the girth member having. thestay flaps 30. However, the stay flaps in this assembly are notnecessary for the purpose of bracing the side panels apart, but servethe function of preventing the girth member from slipping offdownwardly.

In Fg. 10 is illustrated an assembly of this dicated at 40' and 4|approximately to an extent corresponding to the shoulders 2|a, so thatthey underlie the end sections of the girth member, just as saidshoulders overlap them at the top. Thus the flapless girth member isdefinite ly anchored in place, and. in turn, holds the bottom againstflexing upwardly on the crease rill . ward. In Fig. 12 is illustrated amodification of the girth member in assembly with a body member of thetype illustrated'in Fig. 11, the side sections of the girth memberherebeing designated .by the reference numeral 48 and one of the endsections by the reference numeral 49. It will be observed that the endsection is modified in the particular that it is provided with adependingflap portion 49a, without any fold crease, so that said flapportion extends stiilly downward between the bottom shoulder projections21;: of the side panels, thus forming a brace holding their lowerportions spaced apart the full width of the bottom, and thus preventingcollapse of the latter.

In Fig. 14 is shown a flexed position and in Fig. 15 an invertedcollapsed position of the body member illustrated in Fig. 13, which hasa bottom construction of the type illustrated in Fig. 9, viz., anoverlying panel 40 and underlying panel 4| fastened together by staples44. It will be seen that this body member has additional side panelcreases M, so positioned that the upper portions 2L2: of the side panelsand 1 top side portions 2lb may be folded flat against is bowed into anarcuate form, asillustrated in Fig. 14, to such extent that one of thejournal members 54 may be inserted through a hole 50, and then the otherjournal member inserted through the other hole. Furthermore, in order topermit this insertion, the bottom panels are provided with extendedslots 55, aligning with the holes 50 and of sufficient length toaccommodate the journal members 54 and permit them to pass through thebottom panels both when they are inserted and when the body member isreleased so as to resume its flat form. When this is accomplished, thejournal portions 54 engage under portions of the conjoined side panelsin the top crotch, thereby affording support for the container and thehandle and effectively locking the handle against detachment from it.

For some purposes it is desirable to dispense entirely with fasteningssuch as. staples, and this may be accomplished by providing aninterlocking slot and hook connection for the overlying and underlyingbottom panels. Such a connection is illustrated in Fig. 16, theoverlying panel being designated by the reference numeral 60, and theunderlying panel by the reference numeral 6 I. The overlying panel isprovided, on its median line, with a slot- 60a, and the underlying Ipanel is split in two parts along a line Sla, and

formed with two locking hooks Gib at its ends. The overall widthof thelocking hooks Bi b, when they are in lateral abutment, exceeds thelength of the slot 60a, but by virtue of the split Gla the locking hooksGlb may be overlapped one upon the other for insertion through saidslot. After ,being inserted they are returned to their collateralrelationship, in which position they are retained by. abutment of theirmargins along the slit Sla. After being so interlocked, the bottompanels may be flexed inwardly to facilitate insertion in the girthmember. In Fig. 16 I have shown such a body member assembled with agirthmember of the type fllustrated in Fig.' 3, having the flaps 30 whichoverlie the bottom panel 60 forthe purpose of holding the girth memberagainst sliding ofl. downwardly and affording the bottom structureadditional stiffening reinforcement.

. In Fi 13 is illustrated how the .bottles are retained in a containerof any of the particular forms above described, and showing also thehandle in its dropped or lowered position, where it is below the levelof the tops of the bottles and will not interfere with the stacking ofanother similar package upon them.

-As will be apparent from the foregoing, the invention provides acontainer which may be completely collapsed for shipment and set upquite easily, and in its set-up condition, will permit removal andre-insertion of bottles without requiring any dismantling ordis-assembling. It is evident that various further modifications may bemade in the construction without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1 A container for packaging and carrying bottles and the like,comprising a body member and a girth member both formed of sheetmaterial and collapsible to a flattened form, the body member comprisinga bottom and side panels extending upwardly from opposite outer marginsof said bottom and connected to each other at their upper portions, saidbottom comprising bottom panels which are fastened together so as suchas to extend over the other for a substantial distance beyond said foldline, 'the girth member having wall portions adapted to encompass theside panels and form an upstanding rim adjacent outer marginal portionsof the bottom when the latter is in its unfolded set-up condition, andthe side panels being provided with a handle at their upper ends.

2. A container for packaging and carrying bottles and the like,comprising abody member and a girth member both formed of sheet materialand collapsible to a flattened form; the body member comprising a bottomhaving panels which are connected to each other and foldable toward andfrom each other, and side panels 'extending upwardly from opposite outermargins of said bottom and connected to each other at their upperportions, said bottom including also a parand collapsible-to flattenedform; the body memher having a bottom and upwardly extending side panelsat opposite margins thereof, said bottom being formed of panels whichare fastened to-' gether and foldable against each other and said sidepanels being integrally connected at their upper ends; the girth membercomprising a portion adapted to encompass the side panels and form anupstanding rim adjacent marginal portions of the bottomand a stay partadapted to be positioned between the side panels to brace their lowerportions apart; the sidepanels being provided with a handle at theirupper ends.

4. A container for packaging and carrying bottles and the like,comprising a body member and a girth member both formed of sheetmaterial and collapsible to a flattened form; the body' member having abottom and upwardly extending side panels at opposite margins thereof;the girth member comprising a portion adapted to encompass the sidepanels and form an upstanding rim adjacent marginal portions of thebottom and a flap arranged to extend inwardly between the side panelsand rest upon the bottom andbrace the lower portions of the side panelsapart; the side panels being provided with a handle at their upper ends.

- 5, In a container for carrying a plurality of bottles or the like, abody member formed of sheet material and collapsible to flattened Iorm,said body member having a bottom portion and upwardly extending sidepanels, the upper end portions of said side panels being abutted facetoface and subdivided by slots and apertures of paper board and formedwith a bottom and oppositely disposed side panels flexibly joined toopposite side margins of said bottom and having their upper end portionsconnected to each other over the bottom, the bottom having panels whichi are fastened toeach other one over the other so as to fold toward andfrom each other along a crease line in the lower one only and parallelwith their side margins, and the overlying bottom panel being of widthsuch as to extend over the other for a substantial distance beyond saidI crease line.

7. A container for packaging and carrying bot-- ties and the likecomprising a body member made of paper board and formed with a bottomand oppositely disposed side panels flexibly joined to V opposite sidemargins of said bottom and having their upper end portions connected toeach other over the bottom, the bottom having panels which 7 arefastened together one over the other so as to fold toward and from eachother along a crease line in the lower one only and parallel with theirside margins, the overlying panel being of width such as to extend fromone side panel tothe other when the lower bottom panel is in unfoldedposition.

HENRY K. POWELL.

